Monday, August 24, 2009

These blue dog democrats touting from various states and districts are finding out, THE HARD WAY, that their constituents do want a public option as part of the health care reform bill.

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is the most compromised senator that is currently in the hot seat. Mr. Baucus has taken MILLIONS of insurance, health care lobbyist money and his slow walk and lack of commitment to the public option has enraged folks. Thus the pressure and heat is on Baucus to back a public option. His poll numbers have slipped in Montana, thus making him actually STATE that he is for a public option. But seeing is believing from Mr. Baucus, at this point.

U.S. Senator Max Baucus has finally broken his silence regarding his personal position on including a public option in health care reform legislation. Last Monday night (8/17), in an unprecedented conference call to Montana Democratic central committee chairs, the powerful leader of the Senate Finance Committee told his strongest supporters that he supported a public option. While discussing the obstacles to getting a public option through the Senate, he assured his forty listeners, "I want a public option too!"

The conference call was groundbreaking in that none of the recipients could ever remember this kind of call ever happening before. The teleconference was set up seemingly in reaction to rising discontent among the local Democratic leaders with the Senator's failure to take a clear position on the issue.

The discussion, which became contentious and rancorous at times, also touched upon The wisdom of creating insurance cooperatives as an alternative to a public option. When several of the county chairs objected, commenting that they did not trust the health insurance companies to police themselves and limit their outrageous corporate profits, Baucus commented, "Neither do I."

This is the sticking point. Why should we trust the insurance companies to do the right thing for the consumer? They have not for years and have benefitted in record profit. The insurance companies are mounting the largest MISINFORMATION campaign in record history against any health care reform. If one industry is doing all this to keep things the SAME, you know that the system is not working to benefit us, the consumer.

Then Blue Dog, Jim Cooper out of Tennessee. This man was instrumental in destroying the Clinton Health Care Reform in the 90s. He is another one who has been slow walking things in the House of Representatives and now a new poll shows that his constituents don't like how he is handling the health care reform bill and they too, want a public option.

Let's be frank here, many of these Blue Dog Democrats are from districts with working class and below poverty folks, these people want a public option in this health care bill. The one thing that Barack Obama did right during his campaign was the continuous pounding of health care reform, the continuous talking of the American public having "health care like congress". That resonated with the public and the public wants it. What is happening now is all about the money, the lobbyist money. It is up to these politicians to either vote their district, state or deal with defeat at the polls.

It is that simple.

It did not take long for Cooper to respond to the poll on his district, read it here.

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